A planned national rail strike by the RMT union is being challenged by Network Rail in the High Court.
A planned national rail strike by the RMT union has been called off after Network Rail challenged it in the High Court.
The company, which is trying to avert the first national rail strike in 16 years, has alleged discrepancies in the RMT's ballot for industrial action.
The company was granted an injunction after it alleged discrepancies in the RMT's ballot for industrial action.
The union, which has called strikes over four days, starting next Tuesday, said it would strongly defend itself.
It means a four-day strike, due to start next Tuesday, will not go ahead.
It plans to strike over Network Rail's plans to cut 1,500 jobs and increase evening and weekend maintenance work.
The RMT had planned to strike over Network Rail's plans to cut 1,500 jobs and increase evening and weekend maintenance work.
The union says the plans would affect rail safety.
The union says the plans would affect rail safety.
In a written argument before the court, Charles Bear QC, for Network Rail, said: "The strike will have the effect of preventing about 80% of all rail services in the UK, so causing immense damage to the economy, to businesses depending on rail for freight and/or transport of commuting workers, and to a great many individual rail users."
He said it would also "profoundly damage" the train operating companies and Network Rail.
Refunds
Network Rail says it has found "scores of discrepancies and inaccuracies" in the RMT's strike ballot of signalling staff.
TRAIN COMPANIES INVOLVED East CoastFirst Great WesternLondon OvergroundLondon MidlandSouthernSoutheasternSouth West TrainsVirgin TrainsEurostar Rail firms issue strike timetables
The legal challenge concerns only the ballot of signallers, and does not relate to the RMT's ballot of maintenance workers and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) ballot of supervisors.
Network Rail alleged that the RMT balloted 11 signal boxes that do not exist, and that in 67 locations the numbers of union members balloted exceeded the total number of employees working.
It also claimed that 26 workplaces were missed out, giving RMT members at these locations no opportunity to vote.
In 12 locations there were no operations staff at all, so workers were ineligible to vote, Network Rail said.
A decision is expected later on Thursday, before the court closes for the four-day Easter holiday.
In preparation for disruption, train companies have published revised timetables for 6 to 9 April, when members of the RMT and TSSA unions are due to walk out.
Network Rail says this burnt signal box was balloted by RMT
Train operators say most services will not run between 1900 BST and 0700 BST.
The Association of Train Operating Companies said passengers would be eligible for a refund or be able to switch to another service if their train was cancelled or ran later than originally scheduled.
If there are no trains on a particular route, season ticket holders will be able to claim compensation.
TSSA supervisors and RMT maintenance workers are set to walk out from 6 to 9 April inclusive, while RMT signal staff will strike from 0600 BST to 1000 BST and 1800 BST to 2200 BST on the same days.
An estimated four out of every five trains could be cancelled, and on the commuter lines into Victoria, Waterloo, Liverpool Street and London Bridge, all in London, that proportion could rise to nine out of every 10.
